With RAM prices surging dramatically in 2025 due to unprecedented demand from AI data centers and ongoing supply constraints, PC builders face tough decisions. Should you wait for prices to drop? Which type of RAM offers the best value? How can you optimize your budget without compromising performance? This guide breaks down the current market dynamics and provides actionable advice for buying RAM right now, especially with Black Friday deals.
Why RAM Prices Are Skyrocketing
The explosive growth of AI applications has triggered a massive shift in RAM production. Manufacturers are prioritizing server-grade memory to support multibillion-dollar AI infrastructure investments, significantly cutting the supply available for consumer devices like desktops, laptops, and smartphones. This shift has led to an unprecedented price inflation for DDR5 memory, with some popular 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30 kits nearly doubling in cost within just a couple of months.
According to industry reports, DRAM contract prices increased by over 170% year-over-year in 2025, signaling a deep, ongoing shortage expected to persist into 2026. Meanwhile, DDR4, once a more affordable alternative, has also seen price hikes, shrinking the traditional cost gap between DDR4 and DDR5 kits.
Should You Wait or Buy RAM Now?
Despite the sticker shock, waiting for RAM prices to drop might not be a wise strategy. The current trajectory suggests further price increases or at best, stabilization at high levels. Black Friday sales, while generally strong for other PC components, tend to offer minimal relief on DDR5 memory, focusing discounts more on DDR4 or lower-speed kits. Given that, locking in your RAM purchase now ensures you avoid potential future scarcity and even higher prices.
On the flip side, Black Friday is excellent for snagging deals on other components like CPUs, motherboards, power supplies, and cases. This can help balance your total build cost despite the inflated RAM prices.
Choosing the Right RAM for Your Build
When selecting RAM amidst rising costs, consider these factors:
- Speed vs Price: DDR5 6000 MHz CL30 remains a sweet spot offering solid performance for both AMD Ryzen and Intel platforms. However, slower modules like DDR5 5600 CL40 still deliver near-comparable performance at a noticeably lower price, making them a good option to reduce expenses without substantially sacrificing gaming or productivity performance.
- Capacity Matters: 32GB is increasingly becoming the standard for gaming and future-proof builds, even though 16GB is still widely used. 16GB kits risk performance issues and micro-stuttering in demanding, modern AAA games. If budget is tight, prioritize capacity first (32GB over speed), and tune down other component selections if needed.
- DDR4 vs DDR5: For older platforms or extreme budget builds, DDR4 remains viable and more affordable but is facing shrinking stock and rising prices. If you’re building a new system on AM5 or Intel’s current chipsets, DDR5 is the better long-term investment despite current premiums due to increasing software optimization.
Smart Budgeting Tips for a Balanced Build
The era of RAM prices accounting for just 5-10% of total PC build costs is over; today, it can make up 10-20%. To manage expenses:
- Consider downgrading motherboard tiers or CPU models that have less impact on overall performance for your use case.
- Reduce storage capacity or opt for less expensive cases and PSUs to allocate more budget toward RAM.
- Plan incremental upgrades cautiously; upgrading beyond 16GB DDR5 by adding more sticks later might pose compatibility challenges due to current memory controller limitations.
Conclusion
RAM prices in 2025 are under significant inflation pressure driven by AI-related demand and supply realignments in the memory market. Waiting for major price drops is unlikely to be a winning strategy. Instead, buyers should aim to purchase suitable RAM now—favoring value-oriented DDR5 kits at decent speeds and prioritizing 32GB capacity for future-proofing. Smart budgeting across the entire PC build can offset the higher RAM cost, making this a practical time to build or upgrade your gaming rig. Stay alert for curated Black Friday discounts on complementary components, and lock in your RAM before prices climb further.
This buying guide is based on recent industry price data, market trend analysis, and expert PC building insights.
